Bicycle-frame.



Patented Nov. 2'5, |a02.fVV

H. W. FBEED. BICYCLE FRAME.. (Apphcatwn led July 19 1902 (No Model.)

Wneoozs UNITED STATES HOOVER W. FREED, OF BURNIIAM, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO HARRY F. SAGER AND ALFRED S. OLEGG, OFBURNHAM,

PENNSYLVANIA.

BICYCLE-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,571, dated November25, 1902.

Application led Tilly 19, 1902. Serial No. 116,196l

`To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HOOVER W. FREED, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Burn- Another object is toprovide means for coupling the various portions of the frame together.

The novel construction and arrangement of parts embodied in thisinvention will be clearly described hereinafter, reference being had to'the accompanying drawings, in Which- A j j Figure l represents a sideView of the frame, part being in elevation and part in section toillustratejthe interior as Well as the exterior thereof; and Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of one of the connections wherebythe frame is secured to the crankboX. i

The reference-numeral 1 designates the crank-box of a bicycle, to whichis secured the front stay or coupling-bar 2, the seat-post tube 3, andthe rear stay 4 of the rear fork 5. In the seat-post tube 3 is aseat-post 6 comprising a hollow tube and provided at the top with a plug7, which normally closes the top of the central passage 8, which is incommunication with the interior of the hollow tube 3 and with theinterior of the hollow reach-bar 9. In order to permit the fuel to flowinto the reach-bar 9 I provide an opening 10b in the post, whichcoincides with asimilar orifice 10a in the expander 10. A number ofthese orifices can be provided, so that when the post is moved up ordown to accommodate it to the position of fthe rider one orifice willalways be opposite the passage 11 in the tube 9, whereby communicationmay be had with the interior of the tube 3 through the passage 8 of theseat-post 6.

12 is also hollow and is provided at its top and bottom with plugs orotherwise normally The steering-head j (No model.)

closed, so that uninterrupted communication may be had with the interiorof the front stay 2. Thus by removing the cap 7 a hydrocarbon fuel canbe inserted through the scat-post and after filling the interior of thetube 3 will iill the interior of the tubes 9, the head 12, and the frontstay 2. The front stay 2and the tube 3 and each of the rear stays: aresecured to the box l by adjustable thimbles 13. These thimbles 13 areinternally screw threaded and engage the external threads of the tubularprojections 14, radiating from the periphery of the box. The interior ofeach projection 14 is tapered and is designed to receive a tapered end15 of a plug or pin 16, one end of which enters the end of one of therespective tubes and is Welded thereto, so as to form a liquid-tightclosure. Intermediate the ends of the` plug or pin 16 is a collar orange 17, against which the inwardly-projecting flange 18 of the thimble13 abuts. Inasmuch as the plug or pin 16 is welded to the tubes andbecomes practically an integral part thereof, the turning of the thimble13 will draw the tubes and box together, thus effectually tightening thej frame. The wedge or tapering portion of the pins in entering theinterior portion of the projections 14 will cause a tight connection tobe made, thereby reducing any tendency of the parts becoming loose,owing to the vibration of the machine. v

At a suitable point on the tube 9 is a normally closed vent 20, whichcan be opened during the process of filling the tubes, so as to permitthe escape of air, and thus facilitate the introduction of liquid fuel.Leading from near the bottom of the respective tubes 2 and 3 are branchor feed pipes 21 and 22, which merge into a single discharge-pipe 23,from where the fuel can be converted into a gas or vapor and supplied tothe motor.

It will thus be seen that a frame constructed in accordance with myinvention will be capable of retaining a considerable quantity of liquidfuel without materially adding weight to the frame of the machine andthat by providing the couplings, as illustrated and described by me,considerable strength will bel IOO the hanger.

can be lessened, and in the` event that the motor becomes deranged orneeds repair the hanger,with the motor,can be readily removed from theframe by manipulating the thimbles 13, so as to detach the rest of theframe from While I have illustrated this frame as being adaptedparticularly to the ordinary con struction of bicycles, it is obviousthat by slightly altering the form of the frame the invention Would beadapted to multcycle frames or tandems, and I therefore reserve theright to make such slight im material changes as properly come withinthe scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what A bicycle-frame.comprising atubular 'adjacent the passage of the reach, said post being normallyclosed, and branch pipes leading from the vertical brace and the vfrontstay, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.A

' HOOVER W. FREED.

Witnesses:

WM. I-I. WREN, L. Jon KOCH.

